Summer Checklist

Hello readers!

Don't mind the shift; I've just decided to make this profile my primary one.

Recently, I've been inspired to make a summer checklist of the things I wanted to do while the weather was still warm.

Why not sit down with your sweetie and crank out a colorful checklist of your own?

Here is mine, for inspiration:

Sorry for the poor quality; it turns out my markers need replacing! Plus, I only had this large piece of white cardboard to work with. Next time I will definitely use not-white. Maybe green like the original!

My list only has 16, not like the original 20, because it's already almost August anyway and did I mention my markers died? So sad. But I have space at the bottom (and sharpies, which I'm going to use the next time I make this!) in case I think of anything else.

Stay in Dates

My husband and I just bought our first house (YAY!) which explains my recent absence. Moving and settling is so time consuming. But the dust has settled and I'm back in action.

Now that we're here, we never want to leave. We are homebodies anyway, this just made it worse. The good thing is our "dates" are cheap. 

Netflix date 

My husband and I are huge fans of Netflix. For less than $10 a month, we get unlimited DVDs (one at a time) plus unlimited online streaming. If you have your Xbox hooked up, you can even stream it to your TV. 

We have weekly "date nights". After the kids are in bed, we pop in that week's DVD and just chill. We like to rent movies we haven't seen before and pretend a bit that we are in a theater. No babysitter required.

Margarita nights

This is for those already living together or at least in the "sleep over" stage. No driving tonight! 

The cost of this date depends on how stocked up you are. It can run you from $0 up to $80. Not really $10 date but there is a bit of an investment. A blender will last years as well the glasses. A bottle of mix can see you through at least 2 nights, depending on how plastered you want to get. 

A bottle of good tequila is $20-$40 (I recommend Azul, great tasting and inexpensive. We just bought a new bottle for $21) but if you are like us and have the makings of a bar, all you need is a bottle of margarita mix which usually runs about $6 at the grocery store. (This is the under $10 part) If you want to buy the actual margarita glasses they are about $10 for a set of 4. Buy or borrow a blender if you don't have one. After your initial investment, future margarita nights will be much cheaper, just mix and occasionally a new bottle of tequila. 

This is the fun part. Mix up some drinks and enjoy. Play board games or talk. Be silly but be responsible. No one wants to be cleaning up the mess after you went past your limit. After you set your glasses down for the night, go cuddle in bed. 

Camp Out

This is the perfect time of year to go camping... in your backyard. You can even do this on a weeknight and go to work the next morning. Now I don't recommend you do this without a tent (mosquito bites do not equal sexy) so if you have one, invite over your sweetie and go old school. Bonus points if you have a fire pit in your back yard for roasting marshmellows for smores.

Do you have any stay in date ideas?

Very Definitely Not Dinner & A Movie

Some highlights from an article over at iCiNG by Gala, called "Very Definitely Not Dinner & A Movie," featuring 50 offbeat date ideas. These are my favorites off the list:

The Case Of The Mystery Band
Grab a copy of your local newspaper or magazine, close your eyes, run your finger over the “live music” section & choose a band neither of you have ever heard of to go & see. It could be amazing; it could be completely hellish — you won’t know until you go! But even if it’s shocking, it’s definitely a bonding experience, & maybe even something to tell the children, eh?

Ye olde photobooth hunt
Trawl your city for old-school photobooths & take as many strips as you can. Take props, maybe a silly wig or two, & see how bizarre you can make them. P.S. Photobooth.net is your go-to source for major photobooth info!

A drive-in movie
I admit, this one seems ultra-cool to me just because I’ve never done it & I am in love with Danny Zucco from here until eternity. Just don’t try to take your ring off by wiping it through your greasy hair & hit your girlfriend in the boob. “Oh Sandy baby, some day, when hiiiiiiiigh school is done!”

“My old neighbourhood” date
Walk around the area you used to live, & tell your date about where you used to ride your bike, what happened on that one lawn, which house was best to hit up on hallowe’en & who the really creepy neighbours were.

The really long one-way walk
No rules except that you just have to walk for a really long time in one direction & not turn around. When you’re really exhausted or hit the ocean, it’s time to go back. Catch a taxi or a bus or something to ease the pain.

“First date” night
This one works best if it’s not your actual first date. Like, for example, you’ve been together for 3 years & live in the same house. Get dressed separately, meet somewhere strange & a bit awkward, & pretend you don’t know one another. Start from scratch. Ask all those banal questions you’re supposed to ask (“So, what do you do?”). Then at the end of the night, rejoice that you’re in a relationship & not dating any more!

The silent date
In a loud, noisy, overstimulating world, it can be nice to unplug & escape. But it can be nice to do that with your new favourite person, too. Hold hands & read books on a wharf & occasionally look adoringly at one another. Cool.

Check out the rest of the list:
http://galadarling.com/article/very-definitely-not-dinner-a-movie